Liquid treatment of filamentary material



y 1950 w. A. SISSON 2,513,432

LIQUID TREATMENT OF FILAMENTARY MATERIAL Filed Aug. 14. 1945 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED PATENT (OFFICE LIQUID..TREATMENT OF JEILAMENTARY MATERIAL 'Wayne A. Sisson, Wilmington, DelQ, assignor-to American Viscose Corporation; Wilmington; Del., woorporatiomof Delaware" I Application August "14, 1945.,f'Serial;N0;.610;767

In treating fibrous or-filamentary material with liquid, it is important to insure that excess liquid isnot carried by the material from one-liquidtreating stage to anothen'or from a liquid-treating stage to a drying device or a :take-updevi'ce'; It is also important to insure "that theliquid picked up by the material is uniformlyand-even 1y distributed along each succeeding portion thereof. to avoid over-coating of some sectionsof the filaments with consequent inequalities in the finished, yarn or thread. n

A varietyof methods and apparatus have-been proposed for removing excess liquidyfrom filamentary material advancing from a liquid-treating stage. However, such procedures usuallyinvolve either the use of mechanical implements; such as squeeze rollers, which may "have an abrading action on the wet filaments, or they' involve comparatively elaborate apparatus including air ejectors, centrifugal devices, etc. I'nall cases, there is a considerable waste of the treating liquid unless special means are-provided for collecting and .re-circulating the excess liquid stripped ofi. the liquid-laden filamentary -material.

All of the foregoing disadvantages'are avoided by the present invention in accordancewith which excess liquid is stripped off continuously travelling fibrousor filamentarymaterial and-absorbed by comparatively dry continuouslytravelling fibrous or filamentaryjma'terial which contacts the liquid-laden material along a portion of its path of travel from. a liquid-treating stage at a point removed from such. stage.

Preferably the dry fibrous materialapproaching the liquid-treating bath,..andtheliquidgtreate ed material advancing from the liquid bath, travel in opposite directions 1and'.:contaotceach other for a length .of from about-4:150 12 inches at a point adjacent 'thew'level aof liquid-treating bath.

Th accompanying drawing is fillustrative of the invention. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in e1evation of one embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views in-elevation of modifications of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a, diagrammatic view in elevation of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure-5 is a top view of the modification shown inFigurel;

Figure 6 is 'a diagrammatic View in elevation of-a furth'er embodiment;

Figure-71s a top View of the modification shown in-Figure 6'; and

Figures 8; 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views in elevation of still *further -modifications of the invention.

"As shown in Figure l, the filamentary'mate rial-*2 advancesfrom a'supply -2a-over a rotatable roll 3 andthen downwardly into a vessel '4' containingtreating liquid 5, under a rotatable 'roll 6 submerged in the' treating liquid and-back along rollers -3aand 31), from whence it may proceed to another liquid treating stage, a drying device,-or, as shown, to-a-"take-updevice l; The material proceeding fromthe bath and back along rollers 3aand 3b follows a path which converges toward the path-of the comparatively dry material advancing to the bath, so :that ifor a distance which may vary, but is preferably from about 4 to 12 inches, between roller f 3a and the level ofthe treating liquid, and between rollers 3a and" 3b "the liquid-laden and dry iporti'ons 'of-the-filamentary material run in side-bY-side contact-and rub lightly against each other, .so 'thatthe excess liquid clinging to the treated material ispicked upland absorbed by'the 'drymaterial approaching the bath Proper contact may-be assured either by suitable relative :positioning'of the supply and takeaup or byerunnin'g the-material through a common groove the In Figure '2, the filamentary material 58 adtreatment of threads in the form .of a warp-sheet.

For instance, in the embodiment. of thes.iinven- 'tion shownin Figure 3, a warp :sheetcom'prising alternate threads. I5 and 1.6 mayzbevadvanced horizontally' over the level of a liquid bath-u l8, and the alternate threads 46 of lth'esheet may be defiectedfrom the horizontal aboutlrollz l-la and passed; 'dowrrwandlygaround a .roller 1 1 sub- 1 in vessel 58. 'terial 53 is thenin turn withdrawn diagonally 3 merged in the liquid bath, being then restored by passage around roll ill) to position in the sheet where, by side-by-side contact between the remaining comparatively dry threads [5 and the liquid-laden threads Hi all of the threads of the warp sheet comprising both threads l5 and I6 are uniformly, liquid-treated.

In Figures 4 and 5 there is shown an embodiment of the invention in accordance with which comparatively dry filamentary material is ad-* vanced around pulleys 2| and 7Z2.v As the material travels between the pulleys, it is treated with liquid from a container 23 by means of a roll 24. The liquid-laden material travelling in.

the groove in pulley 22 lightly contacts the com-=-v paratively dry filamentary material and transfers 0 tainer run between rollers 2i and 22 and are in contact for the distance between the rollers.

In accordancewith the modification shown in Figures 6 and '7, the comparatively dry filamentary material 26 travels around a pair of rollers 21 and 2111. Liquid is applied to the material by means of a rotatable liquid-applying roll 28, 1 which dips into theliquid bath 28a. As the liquid-laden material travels over roller 21, it contactsa portion of the comparatively dry material advancing to the liquid-applying roll, before liquid thereto, before proceeding to a drying device 25. The device may be modified so that both the fibrous material advancing to the container 23, and the material travelling from the conproceeding, over roll 29, to drying device 30. The

arrangement illustrated inFigures 6 and '7 may bermodified to permit the dry material and liquid-treated material to contact alongthe dis- V tance between rollers 21 and'2'la.

In Figure 8, the comparatively dry filamentary material 3| is passed around a pair of rotatable 1 rollers 32' and 32a arranged so that roller 32a dips into the liquid bath 33. Leaving roller 32,

3 the liquid-treated material passes in contact with a comparatively dry portion of material advancing to the liquid bath. Y Y

A further embodiment of the-invention is shown in Figure 9. There, an-absorbent fibrous strand 34, which may be a ribbon of felt or a bundle of continuous filament rayon, for example, passes continuously around a plurality of rotatable rolls 35, 36, 31, 33, preferably in coun- 'ter-clockwise direction. Between rolls 3! and 38 the absorbent material passes through a heat- 1 ing unit 39.

liilamentary material 41 is advanced over roller Roller 31 is driven by-a motor 45.

42 downwardly around roller 43 submerged in a liquid bath 44 in container 45, and is then passed upwardly over roller 46 positioned above the bath. The filamentary material 4|, which may be proceeding from a liquidetreating stage con- I downwardly and under roll 50 immersed in liq- 1 uid bath 5| in container 52, and the liquid-laden material then is drawn off over roller 52a diag- 1 onally across comparatively dry filamentary ma terial 53 advancing over. rotatable roll 54, downwardly and under roll 55 submerged in liquid The liquid-laden filamentarygma- The fibrous strand 34 The filamentary material to be liquid-treated may be proceeding from any suitable source of "supply, as for instance from a wound package or cake.

Further,- liquid-laden material coming from a'spinning-machine, for example, a machine for spinning artificial filaments in accord- ..ance with the wet spinning method, may be brought into contact with comparatively dry filamentary material which absorbs the excess liquid clinging to the freshly spun filaments. The filaments may then be collected, or prior to collection, new impregnants may be applied thereto. Also, the filamentary material may be advancing from a drying spinning cell.

- The filamentary material may be stretched to any appropriateextent between several liquidtreating stages and while in the ladencondition.

Thearrangement may be such that each succeeding portion ofv the filamentary material leaving the liquid-treating stage is caused to run in side-by-side relation to and in contact with each succeeding dry or comparatively dry portion thereof approaching such stage, or the liquidladen material may be withdrawn from the liquid-treating stage along a path which crosses the pathof the drymaterial approaching the path at any angle, so long as the liquid-laden and dry filaments are. brought into contact with each other at some point removed from the liquid-treating stage. Alternatively, a separate length of filamentary material may be run horizontally, diagonally, or.otherwise across and in contact with the continuously travelling liquidladen filamentary material to effect removal of excess liquid from the treated material simultaneouslywith liquid treatment of the dry material. y I

The described method of applying liquid and removing excess liquid from travelling filamentary material requires only the simplest and most readily available apparatus, and is productiveof the most satisfactory results both as to absorption of the treating liquid,uniformity of residual liquid at eachlsucceeding portion of the material, andconservation of the. treating liquid none of which is wasted. V

This invention may be practiced in connection with the application of any type of liquid to any type of filamentary material.

The treating liquid may be applied to the filamentary material either during the course of manufacture'there'of, as in the manufacture of artificial filaments from viscose, cuprammonium solutions, protein solutions, -resin solutions, etc., or it may be applied to filaments, Whether natural or artificial, to better prepare them for textile processing such as knitting, weaving, and like operations, or to effect coloration thereof as desired. Thus the treating liquid may be a desulfurizing, bleaching, washing or other medium as in the case of filamentary material manufactured from viscose, or it'may be any other suitable liquid.

For example, it may be a soft finishing agent, a soapsolution, aydyebath a sizing solution, a

There is a constant transfer of excesslustering or delustering agent, or any other liquid or semi-liquid substance which it is desired to apply to filamentary material for any purpose.

Any number of treating liquids may be applied to the filamentary material, and the excess liquid removed from the treated material by contact thereof with comparatively dry filamentary material after each liquid application and prior to impregnating the material with another and different material.

The material from which the excess liquid is removed may be bundles of continuous filaments, yarns formed from filaments or short fibers, ribbons, etc.

It is only necessary that each succeeding portion of the liquid-laden material brush or rub lightly against each succeeding portion of comparatively dry material, which may be a dry portion of the same length of filamentary material or a separate length of filamentary material to effect absorption of the excess liquid from the wet material by the dry material, and no difficulty is experienced due to abrasion of the filaments resulting from undue friction therebetween.

As an example of the efficiency resulting from the practice of the invention, when a 300 denier, 120 filament yarn was passed through a soft finish solution at a speed of 400 meters/min. using an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 1, the treated yarn, which was collected in skein form, was found to have retained 85% by weight of the solution clinging thereto (bone dry basis), after contact with yarn advancing to the liquid-treating stage.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in terms of specific embodiments thereof, it will be readily apparent that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of conditioning filamentary material which comprises continuously passing a bundle of continuous filaments in comparatively dry condition to and through a liquid-treating stage, and. then passing the liquid-treated bundle in a path along which succeeding portions thereof contact succeeding comparatively dry portions of the bundle of filaments advancing to the liquid-treating stage to transfer excess liquid from the liquid-treated portions to the comparatively dry portions without any appreciable compacting of the bundle.

2. A method of conditioning filamentary material which comprises continuously passing a 5 bundle of continuous filaments in comparatively dry condition to and through a liquid-treating stage, and then passing the liquid-treated bundle in a path along which succeeding portions thereof run in side-by-side contact with succeeding comparatively dry portions of the bundle advancing to the liquid-treating stage to transfer excess liquid from the liquid-treated portions to the comparatively dry portions without any appreciable compacting of the bundle.

3. A method of conditioning filamentary material which comprises continuously passing a bundle of continuous filaments in comparatively dry condition to and through a liquid-treating stage, and then passing the liquid-treated bundle in a path along which succeeding portions thereof advance across and in contact with succeeding comparatively dry portions of the bundle advancing to the liquid-treating stage to transfer excess liquid from the liquid-treated portions to the comparatively dry portions without any appreciable compacting of the bundle.

4. A method of conditioning filamentary material which comprises continuously advancing a warp sheet comprising a plurality of comparatively dry bundles of continuous filaments above the level of a liquid bath, continuously passing at least alternate bundles of the sheet downwardly to and through the bath, and continuously passing the liquid-treated bundles upwardly from the bath and into side-by-side contact with comparatively dry bundles of the warp to transfer excess liquid from the liquid-treated bundles to the comparatively dry bundles without any appreciable compacting of the bundles.

WAYNE A. SISSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,496,836 Ashworth June 10, 1924 1,558,549 Johnston Oct. 27, 1925 1,841,010 Carlson Jan. 12, 1932 1,929,090 Bryant Oct. 3, 1933 2,084,829 Tynan June 22, 1937 2,115,630 Gruber-Rehenburg Apr. 26, 1938 2,111,502 Zart Mar. 15, 1938 2,303,123 Johannssen Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 545,566 Germany Mar. L3. 1932 

1. A METHOD OF CONDITIONING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A BUNDLE OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS IN COMPARATIVELY DRY CONDITION TO AND THROUGH A LIQUID-TREATING STAGE, AND THEN PASSING THE LIQUID-TREATED BUNDLE IN A PATH ALONG WHICH SUCCEEDING PORTIONS THEREOF CONTACT SUCCEEDING COMPARATIVELY DRY PORTIONS OF THE BUNDLE OF FILAMENTS ADVANCING TO THE LIQUID-TREATING STAGE TO TRANSFER EXCESS LIQUID FROM THE LIQUID-TREATED PORTIONS TO THE COMPARATIVELY DRY PORTIONS WITHOUT ANY APPRECIABLE COMPACTING OF THE BUNDLE. 